Timer



July 24, 1928.

F. J. PALKY TIMER Filed May 5, 1926 v Inventor J: arm/ Attorney Patented July 24, 1928.

FATE

FRANK'J. PALKY, 0F DORCI-IESTER; NEBRASKA.

TIMER.

.. Application file d May 5, meal/ser al na-ioasss.

This invention .relates to an improved timer which is especially, but not necessarily, designed for use in connection with internal combustion engines of the type used in Ford motor cars, and it has for its principal object to provide an improved timer which can be used in lieu of the one now commonly employed.

One feature of the improved timer 1s an arrangement of parts which isemployed to permit the rotary circuit closing. brush. or, contacting member to rotate circumferem tially with respect to the rotation of the timer shaft in such a manner as to permit an automatic circuit closing actioirwhich is governed according to the" speed of move ment of the vehicle.

More specifically, I propose a structure of this kind which includes a sleeve to be fixedly mounted upon the timer shaft, a collar which is rotatably mountedon the sleeve, a contact carrying arm carried by the collar, and a centrifugal device which is cooperative with the sleeve and the arm for obtaining the desired automatic adjustment during.

the operation of the timer.

Another feature of construction is the housing which includes a flat circular face in which the stationary contacts are embedded, the current supply wires to these contacts being embedded in the housing in such a way that the terminals are all arranged in close proximity to facilitate wiring and to dispose the wires in an out of the wa position.

An equally important feature of construction is the particular construction of the brush carrying arm which is located so that the brush maintains an effective wiping contact with the stationary contact elements, in the shell or housing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawing. I

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the housor shell. igure 2 is a section through the shell showing the timer mechanism in elevation. Figure 3 is an inside view of the shell showing the stationary contact.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the timer mechanism, viewing oneside of the sa1ne,'and

Figure 5.is a view of the. same mechanism,

looking in the opposite side.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the, reference character 1 designates a housing or shell. This is, as

usual, of appropriate insulating material and is of general circular configuration. ,It

will be noted from Figure 2 however that itis provided on one side with a central conical portion2hav1ug an external depression 3 and recessed as at 4 atlts interior. The

body portion is providedwith an apertured,

ear 5 by meansof whicha well known mechanicallyoperated rod may be connected to the deviceif desired, for rotating the timer cas ng or. housing nthe customary manner.

Inaccordance withlthe invention, the.por-

NT'OFFICE.

tion tlwhich surrounds the, recess 4: is of.

flat annular form, and the stationary contact elements 71 are embedded therein; in any appropriate manner. i'lhei there is an out-.

standing annular flange 8 projecting from this contact face. It will be noted at this time that the current supply wires 9 are embeddedin the material of the housin and extend somewhat as indicated in d otted i lines-in Figure l to the bunched terminals 10. This facilitates wiring and places the terminals in the position to dispose the wires in a more convenient position where they are not so liable to become injured.

The timer shaft is generally indicated by the reference character 11 in Figure 2. Keyed upon this shaft is the sleeve 12 and mounted for oscillation on this sleeve is the collar 13. At this time I will confine attention more particularly to Figures 4 and 5. In this connection it will be seen that the sleeve is provided with an outstanding ear 14:. Moreover, the collar is provided with a radially extendin part 15 which terminates in a longitu inally bowed arm 16. This arm terminates in an appropriate brush or contact element 17. It is to be stated that this element preferably fits in a socket on the end of the'arm and has wiping contact with the contacts 7 As plainly shown in Figure 5, links 18 and 19 are pivotally connected at their outer ends to the part 15 of the contact arm. The inner ends are pivoted together as at 20 and a counterbalancing weight 21 is associated with this pivotal connection. It might be stated definitely at this time that the weight is of course not so associated with the pivot as to interfere with the breaking of the joints of the two links. Moreover, it is understood that these links are adapted to assume a somewhat divergent relation with respect to each other under the centrifugal action produced, and the weight causes the action of the links when an abnormal speed of rotation is assumed. It will be noted that one end portion 22 of a coiled spring 23 (see Figure 4) is connected to the ear 14. The other end portion Q/tis connected to a small pivoted leaf 25 which is carried by the weight.

It is obvious from the showing that when the device is properly installed, the contact knob or brush is in wiping contact with the circumferentially spaced'contact element 7 on the annular race 6. Hence, an effective contact is provided at all times, and longitudinal movement of the timer shaft is thus compensated for, and it is believed that this I is desirable over theold arrangement where a roller contact is provided and engages contacts' in the peripheral rimof the'conventional casing. It is also obvious that as the device operates, the centrifugal action causes a relative movement of the collar 13 about the sleeve 12, and in this way an automatic regulation is obtained so that when the engine speeds up too much, there will be no delay in the time of closingthe circuit with respect to the particular cylinder being fired at this time. This will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and a more lengthy description is therefore thought unnecessary.

Minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim-as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is In a timer of he class described, in combination, a shell provided with a flat annular race," circumferentially spaced stationary Contact elements: embedded in said race, a timer shaft extending into said shell, a-rotary circuit closer mounted on said shaft and comprising a sleeve fixedly mounted on the timer shaft, said sleeve being'provided with a rigid laterally extending ear, a collar mounted'for oscillation'on said sleeve, said collar being provided with a radiating extens-ion carrying a longitudinally bowed resilent arm, said arm having; a socket at its free end, a contact element in, saidsocketadapted to engage the aforesaid contact elements, links pivotally connected to said ear and said radiating extension respectively, said links being pivoted together, and a governor weight carried by the ends of the links pivotally connected to each other.

Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANK J. PALKY. 

